Can Nuclear Waste Spark an Energy Solution?
This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.
A new generation of nuclear power technology seeks to transform one of the industry’s most enduring problems—its radioactive waste—into an energy solution.
The idea is to reprocess that spent fuel to generate more power. Proponents say the know-how is available now to address the nuclear proliferation concerns that have bedeviled previous recycling plans. And they say the advanced reactors that would run on that recycled fuel would mark a new level of progress on safety.
Nuclear critics remain skeptical, especially because the industry is calling on government to bear the large expense of building the first plants to demonstrate the technology. But given the urgency of climate change, and nuclear technology’s ability to generate large amounts of power without emitting greenhouse gases, the industry and its supporters are saying that the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), which has been studied for decades, is worth a new look.
Reducing Waste and Radioactivity
Nearly all nuclear power reactors in service around the world are fueled with uranium; water is needed not only to cool the reactor but to slow the neutrons so fission will be effective. But dating back to the beginnings of nuclear power research, there have been efforts to deploy effective...
